Lumbermen Meet at Kansas City to Promote the Uses of Wood

A forward step in the lumber industry-and one which promises to be far-reaching-was taken in Kansas City May 24, when lumber manufacturers, mill representatives and retailers met with representatives of the Southern Pine Association, the West Coast Lumber Trade Extension Bureau and the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory, to further the uses of wood, to place lumber in its rightful position among building materials and to urge upon retailers and salesmen alike, the necessity of making a quality product available to the builder.

In the morning, some seventy-five representatives of West Coast mills met in the Hotel Muehlebach with C. J. Hogue of the West Coast Lumber Trade Extension Bureau and R. P. A. Tohnson of the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory, Madiso-n, Wis., to discuss the relative merits of West Coast woods. Harry T. Kendall, sales manager of the Central Coal and Coke Company, presided. Both Mr. Hogue and Mr. Johnson talked at length on the merits and properties of Western Hemlock and Douglas Fir, using numerous slides to illustrate their talks. A general discussion followed.

At noon Mr. Hogue addressed a group of retail.lumbermen at a luncheon in the hotel.

In the afternoon there was a meeting of the Southern Pine mill representatives, Larry I\{arshalil manager of Timber. and Railway Sales, Exchange Sawmills CompanY, pre- siding. Addresses were made by L. R. Putman, mercliandising consul of the Southern Pine Association, and Mr. Johnson of the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory. Comparative strength tests with wood and other building materials were conducted by John F. Carter of the Re*arch Department of the Southern Pine Association.

_ Both meetings were of an intense educational nature, and the prevailing thought throughout was, "know and promote the uses of lumber." Both the West Coast Buieau and the Southern Pine Association are taking great strides in educating the manufacturer, retailer and ioisumer. and this work was explained in considerable detail.

The most imporfant meeting of the day from the standpoint_g! the entire industry, and one of tlie most important lumbeFmeetings ever held in Kansas City, was in the even- ing. The representatives of both West Coast and Southern Pinemills, with Kansas City lumber retailers as their guests, met at the tslue Hills Country Club at 6:30 p. M. for dinner and a .meeting afterwards. Comparative quali- ties of difierent ipecies-were forgotten, "ttd th. ge'neral theme throughout was to bring alf branches of the Tumber industry together for a great common cause. About one hundred and fifty were present, this number being divided about equally between retailers and retail salesmen-and mill representatives of the South and West Coast.

_Harry_T._f(endall presided._ Addresses were made by Ernest E. Woods, secietary of the Southwestern Lumbeimen's Association; -Fred Bollman, retailer, Leavenworth, Kas.; C. J. Hogue, West Coast Lumber Trade Extension Fureau; L. R Putman, Southern Pine Association; R. p. A. Jo!1ns_o_n,.U. S. _Forest Products.Laboratory ; Richird Kimball, National Lumber Manufacturers Asiociation, Washington, D. C.; and John F. Carter, Southern Pine Associatlon.

Opening the meeting, Mr. Kendall said it behooved the several branches of the lumber industry to get together and work as a single unit in the study and advincemlnt of the qualities and uses of lumber. "It is, the only way we can put lumber in its rightful place," said Mr. Kendall. "If we study our product and are capable of giving our customers sound advice, our profits will increase, the customers' fespect for us will increase and we will have no excuses then for devoting our efforts to less profitable lines."

Mr. Woods made the first address, following Mr. Kendall's introductory remarks. He said he was giving the talk prepared by Mr. J. F. Goodman, of the Dickason Goodman Lumber Company.

"The retailers should appreciate the effort of the lumber manufacturers to help merchandise lumber," Mr. Woods said. "Whole hearted co-operation can do much. The lumber industry has awakened and the retailers must cooperate in this great campaign to educate the public to the proper uses of wood. I believe this is coming about and the retailers and manufacturers will join hands to put lumber where it rightfully belongs.

"'We must know our lumber products. If substitutes have been cutting in, one of the reasons is we have allowed wood to be displaced by othei materials not so good because we have failed to find uses for wood where it is supreme. There are substitutes rvhich have merit; others will not do what is claimed for them.

"It has been said that lumber does not afford as much profit as other building materials, but in eight yards I personallv am interested in. we find that lumber is the most profitible item we sell. I think that investigation will prove that other vards have found this to be true."

Mr. Bollman said there are very few retail lumbermen who do not have the sentiment of the business in their hearts, but they must not forget that the man who builds wants hard facts, not sentiment.

"I do not believe there is less profit and turnover in lumber than on other items," he continued. "At least, we don't find it so in my business in Leavenworth.

"We too often accept a substitute sale when we should consider what the customer actually needs. We have been working along the lines of least resistance. The substitute manufacturer has gotten to the consumer public before the public gets to the retailer; consequently there are times when we are order takers when we should have sold that which was best suited for the customer's needs.

"We know what wood will do. We don't know in many instances what the substitutes will do."

Mr. Bollman gave several specific examples where wood products gave greater profits than substitutes and concluded by saying that if the retailer was able to give sound advice about lumber and lumber products, he would have no cause to worry about profit and turnover. "Every yard should be a dependable source of information."

Mr. Putman was the next speaker. He outlined the work of the Southern Pine Association and touched upon some of the more important problems of the industry today. A desire for profit was the cause of every one being in business, Mr. Putman contended. "While there is a great deal of sentiment and romance in the lumber industry," he said, "that isn't the reason we are in the game. We are after profit. It's the survival of the fittest. Naturally we want to stay in the business we like; but it is profit which will keep us in."

Mr. Putman was most emphatic in his belief that the consumer wanted good materials and was willing to pay for them. It was the-lumbermen's job to show the consumer where lumber was superior to other materials.

Mr. Hogue, the next speaker, said:

"I am optimistic about the future of the lumber industry.

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